


Easy money

by artsies



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Hugs, Inspired by Fanart, Pre-Slash, child!iruka, children and teenage versions, i guess, teenager!Kakashi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 21:26:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16773235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artsies/pseuds/artsies
Summary: “How am I supposed to hug a complete stranger”, here he looks at the scroll again to quote, “‘with energetic and youthful love’? That sounds like something rather perverted.”





	Easy money

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a fanart on tumblr by ruskio ([link here](http://ruskio.tumblr.com/post/180030237059/ive-always-wanted-to-hug-kid-kakashi-so-i-sent-my)). I originally posted it in the reblog, but I wanted to archive it here because... well, tumblr is being tumblr.

Iruka reads the mission scroll again, because he must have hallucinated the first time. It couldn’t possibly say what he thinks it says - no, no, he must be misreading some kanjis, or something. Or Matsuoka-san gave this to him as a joke, yes, that’s it.

He glances up at the elderly chunin woman sitting at the mission desk, smiling at him.

“I know it’s a little strange, Iruka-chan”, she says apologetically, “But it is easy money, even if someone is just pulling a prank.”

Iruka’s shoulders drop at the logic of her words. Matsuoka-san knows he lives alone and is desperate to take on solo assignments for some extra cash when he isn’t out with his genin team, which is why she always has something tucked away for his weekends. No doubt she saw the ridiculous commission as nothing but a quick job she could offer the young, somewhat inexperienced genin. Which is true, in a certain sense.

“How am I supposed to hug a complete stranger”, here he looks at the scroll again to quote, “‘with energetic and youthful love’? That sounds like something rather perverted.”

She chuckles, shooing him away, “Just go do it. If you are quick enough about it, you might even get paid today.”

So Iruka sets out, thinking of the new pair of shoes he could buy with this reward instead of the apprehension he feels at finding this ‘Hatake Kakashi’ - whoever the poor soul may be - and what exactly a hug of energetic and youthful love could be. Oh, and who these other two fellas might be that are supposed to witness and sign the act.

(He really hopes this isn’t one of those perverted scams, but decides to put some pepper spray into his pouch either way.)

—

It turns out Hatake Kakashi is seventeen years old, tall with a silver mop of hair, and decidedly unimpressed with a thirteen year old genin demanding to let him complete his assignment.

“Listen”, Iruka tries again, angry at the whole situation, especially since the friends of this poor sod are rolling about with laughter behind them (he would bet good money that they are the commissioners). He waves the scroll in front of the jonin, (of all possible people, he has to hug a jonin), “you can either cooperate, or I will use force!”

Kakashi raises an unimpressed eyebrow as he stares down at him. He looks tired and much too pale.

Iruka sighs.

“I just want to buy a new set of shoes.”, he whispers furiously at him, pointing at his old pair that is currently held together by duct tape and the grace of the gods, feeling some sympathy for his target, “Please let me do my job.”

This seems to have had some effect at least on the older boy, who looks at the bench behind them with a furious expression before crouching down with a sigh. “I’ll kill them later.”, he says, probably mostly to himself. “Idiot Gai and idiot Asuma. Raido and Genma too, for good measure.”

Iruka squares his shoulders. He reads the mission parameters again - Kakashi doesn’t look like the type who would enjoy a hug at all, much less one filled with youthful love -, and spares a glance at the other boys who have momentarily stopped howling to witness the act. Two of them must be the Gai and the Asuma stated by the scroll, then.

Shoes, he thinks, slowly wrapping his arms around the other boy’s shoulders. A warm bowl of ramen. (Maybe it’s thinking of the latter that makes him hug tighter.) He feels Kakashi stiffen a little at his touch, like no one has given him a hug in a long time, and Iruka realizes with a sudden pang of sorrow that he hasn’t been given one either - not since Mum and Dad died a year ago. (It feels like it’s been more than that.) He can feel a cold hand on his back.

“They will suffer greatly.”, the jonin mutters, pulling away and standing up gracefully, “Right after they sign your mission scroll and treat you to something to eat.”

—

Iruka hands in his completed mission to Matsuoka-san with a stomach full of ramen and images of Kakashi beating up his friends behind his eyelids. She grins at him. “That was quick work, Iruka-chan. Good job.”

He wonders if it will be another year before he’ll get a hug again.


End file.
